The Burn

It has already been established that I tend to burn my arm when I bake.
It is now known that my oven mitts are too short for my long arms.
They never seem to cover the place where the top rack of the oven meets my forearm.
The problem was sweetly handled when a deacon and his wife gave me a gift.

Shortly after reading about my continuous problem, he went on the computer.
He searched until he found what he was looking for.
That Sunday at church a few people told me that there was a present for me.
Since the service had already begun, I needed to wait until the end to retrieve my gift.

Someone stopped to talk to me so I never got to the lobby to pick up the mysterious present.
Without missing a beat, the deacon came walking in with a gift bag in hand.
He wanted me to open it right there in front of him since it was from him and his wife.
When I removed the tissue paper I laughed so hard.

No one around me understood what I found so funny.
He and his wife bought me commercial oven mitts.
He knew that my forearms would now be protected with long mitts that went up to my elbows.
It was a perfectly wonderful, incredibly thoughtful gift.

This past weekend I decided to clean my kitchen cabinets.
They are made of beautiful cherry wood.
A few times a year I take Murphy’s Oil Soap and wipe them down really well.
It brings back the luster of the wood.

Saturday was the day.
I made a fresh pot of homemade soup for my husband, which was simmering on the stove.
I had my favorite music on and I went about my work.
Everything smelled so clean and the wood seemed to shine.

As I made my way around my kitchen, I reached the stove.
There are two cabinets above the microwave, which is above the stove.
They are the cabinets that hold my food processor, two coffee percolators, and an electric teakettle.
I wasn’t even thinking when I reached over the stove to wipe down those cabinets.

All of a sudden, I felt pain.
I pulled away and realized that I inadvertently leaned against the simmering soup pot.
Through my clothes, the heat burned my stomach.
I have that fair Irish skin that burns easily; I looked down and it was very red.

Maybe it won’t be so bad, I thought.
Maybe it won’t blister, I hoped.
I had to go ask my husband something as he sat in his office and I was rubbing my side.
Are you OK? he asked, not realizing I was even doing it.

Oh, I think so; I just burned myself on the stove as I was cleaning the cabinets.
It was just red so neither of us was terribly concerned.
I went about my day and continued to clean the cabinets and begin some ironing.
I knew the burn was there but I did not check it until later in the day.

What was only red a short time before was now a huge blister.
It was not a pretty sight.
I was amazed that leaning over a simmering pot for a few seconds would do this.
I was surprised that through my clothes I would still get burned.

I don’t think there are any commercial stomach protectors to be purchased.
Just a little common sense would have prevented this whole thing.
My husband was concerned about infection.
I had some Tea Tree Oil that I kept applying through the day.

It is much better.
It just looks terrible.
Just a few seconds, too close to the heat.
Just a few seconds, even through my clothes.

I thought about the life lesson I learned through my burn.
I thought about temptation.
I thought about the line drawn in the sand.
I thought about crossing that line.

My children were taught about the things they needed to avoid.
Inevitably, each of us is tempted.
The key is to see how far away from the line of temptation you can stand.
Often, people try to skirt the line and get as close as they possibly can without crossing over.

It just takes a few seconds.
A few seconds too close to the heat and you will be burned.
Even when you think you are covered, that temptation will grip you.
You will not walk away unscathed; it will leave its mark.

It will leave an ugly mark.
It will leave a telltale sign that you were too close to the heat.
After you are burned, you will try to remedy the situation.
But it still hurts, the blister is there and it needs attention.

So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. (1 Corinthians 10:12,13)

It is exactly when we let our guard down that we are seized by what is common to man.
We are all tempted.
Being tempted is not sinful.
We know that because Jesus was tempted and Jesus never sinned.

It is the giving in to the temptation that is the problem.
It is the giving in to the temptation that is sinful.
Giving in to the temptation will cause us to get burned.
Getting burned always leaves its mark.

This protective blister I have on my stomach will go away.
But with my skin, the redness will last for a while.
That’s a good thing.
It will remind me to stay away from simmering pots on the stove.

It will remind me to stay away from the heat.
It will remind me every time I look down and see the scar that I know will remain.
Oddly enough, I am thankful.
I had a painful life lesson in my kitchen.

Now simmering pots and the smell of Murphy’s Oil Soap will remind me.
Stay away from the heat!
Stay far away!
Don’t skirt the line to see how close you can come to it without getting burned.

You will get burned!
God is there to help us in our time of need.
God is there to help us not cross that line.
God is faithful; He is always there.

2 responses to “The Burn”

1. Gina, I love this post! 1 Cor. 10:13 has always been a favorite of mine. It has encouraged me countless times in my life. I am so grateful for a God who helps us know where to draw a line in the sand. I can’t imagine a scarier place than a world without boundaries. Praise God for His love and guidance.

   Oh and I pray your burn will heal quickly.

   Reply

   • Karen,
     I agree.
     It is not about how close you can get to the line.
     It is about how far away you can keep yourself from it.
     That can only be done with God’s help.
     Gina

     Reply